Hunger found close to home

The economy of Wall Street really doesn't tell us much about the economy of Main Street. This means that you won't necessarily understand what's going on in the lives of ordinary people by looking at the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In reality, of course, there aren't just the two economies. There are other economies alongside or inside the macro and micro economies.

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By Ron McAllister

seacoastonline.com

By Ron McAllister

Posted Dec. 25, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Ron McAllister
Posted Dec. 25, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

The economy of Wall Street really doesn't tell us much about the economy of Main Street. This means that you won't necessarily understand what's going on in the lives of ordinary people by looking at the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In reality, of course, there aren't just the two economies. There are other economies alongside or inside the macro and micro economies.

One thinks of the barter economy and of the black market, parts of the economy which remain largely outside the view and the reach of the government. These two economic sectors can tell us something about the larger economy though they are largely invisible to most people.

Another window on the wider economy is visible to those who want to see it. This is the charity economy. If you want to know how things are going for ordinary people, talk to those who serve individuals and families in need. I did this recently when I attended a meeting of the Southern York County Food Security Group, a network of agencies, their volunteers and employees working against hunger.

The meeting was called by Sue Patterson of the Healthy Maine Partnership at York Hospital's Center for Community Health. People attending the meeting came from the York Community Service Association Food Pantry in York and the Footprints Food Pantry in Kittery. Also represented were the End 68 Hours of Hunger programs in Kittery and York, Good Shepherd Food Bank, York County Food Rescue, Partners for a Hunger Free York County, the York County Community Action Corp., the Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition based at the University of New England and the Southern Maine Agency on Aging.

Most of the people were well acquainted with one another or at least were familiar with the work being done by each agency. The existence of such a large number of organizations says something about the state of York County's Main Street economy. There are plenty of people in the county who, if they are not hungry, are uncertain about where their next meal will come from. One story will tell you plenty.

The End 68 Hours of Hunger programs provide backpacks full of food for kids to take home so there will be food for them between the end of school on Fridays and the beginning of school of Mondays. One of the volunteers for a 68 Hours organization reported a student who asked: "When do we get our next backpack of food? We are out of food at home now." Right here, just a few miles from where you sit reading this — hunger. Food insecurity is more common in the town of York than you might imagine.

The End 68 Hours of Hunger program in York, operating out of St. George's Church, provides two dozen backpacks filled with non-perishable food every week. The program in Kittery supplies 90 backpacks per week. If you understand that each back pack contains $10 worth of food, you can see that the need is not simple or cheap. York needs almost $250 every week. Kittery needs almost $1,000 weekly.

Then there is the YCSA Food Pantry. The local pantry, which routinely serves 60 families every week out of its distribution center at 38 Woodbridge Road, provided Thanksgiving dinner to 280 people. Where does all this food come from? It comes from donations from community members, restaurants, church groups and businesses. Hannaford, for example, donates food from their produce and bakery departments every week.

Reliance on food stamps appears to have peaked but it could rise again soon. This is because extensions to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that were provided following the recession are expiring. As of Jan. 1, hunger will deepen because the federal food stamp program will be reduced. People receiving this assistance will have their food allowance cut. Where will they go to make this up? Answer: the charity economy. York's food pantry, York's Table of Plenty and the End 68 Hours of Hunger program are likely to face increased demand.

It's Christmas. If you are looking for someone who needs a gift, you don't have to go far from York. Email Michelle Surdoval, executive director of the York Community Service Association, at msurdoval@ycsame.org or email Carol Davis or Ruth Fatscher at york@end68hoursofhunger.org. Think about this when you sit down to your family feast this holiday season. Think about your neighbors and be grateful.